Several Cadillac Hot Rods and Customs lined up at Original Parts Group in Seal Beach, California to be filmed for the “Hot Rod Caddy” episode for Hot Rod TV.
The episode also celebrates the kickoff of OPGI’s new Cadillac Catalog and will air on the Speed channel May 1st, at 10:00 a.m. eastern time.
OPGI’s CEO, Dave Leonard was pleased with the turnout and variety of ‘40s, ‘50s and late ‘60s Cadillacs.
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The controlled studio lighting really accentuates the stylish lines of the then-all-new '68 GTO body, complete
with a rubber-like, body-colored "Endura" front bumper that was dent resistant. This model also has the popular Hide-A-Way headlights option and Rally (I) wheels. The color? Verdoro Green, of course - a Pontiac exclusive.
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At Original Parts Group, Pontiac parts aren't just a business-they're a passion.
And this '68 GTO "Company Car" is their proof!
Story and Photography by Richard Truesdell
IN 1968, THE PONTIAC GTO - THEN IN ITS FIFTH YEAR OF PRODUCTION (FIRST AS AN OPTION PACKAGE FOR THE TEMPEST/LEMANS SERIES, THEN AS A MODEL IN ITS OWN RIGHT FROM 1966 ONWARDS) - WAS GIVEN A WHOLE NEW LOOK FOR THE FIRST TIME. AS THE FIRST OF THE NEW BREED OF MUSCLE CARS (BY THE CLASSIC DEFINITION OF A BIG-BLOCK MOTOR STUFFED BETWEEN THE FENDER WELLS OF AN INTERMEDIATE-SIZED CAR), IT HAD SET THE STANDARD FOR THE CLASS IN 1964 WITH ALL OTHER MUSCLE CARS FOLLOWING BEHIND IT, TYPICALLY GAZING AT ITS TAIL LIGHTS.
The all-new '68 GTO was voted as Motor Trend's Car of the Year. There were several reasons for this: The sumptous styling, the revolutionary body-colored Endura front bumper, and the vast number of options including the mid-year 366-horsepower Ram Air II (superseding the previous 360-horse Ram Air motor) which allowed one to personalize a GTO from mild-to-wild, With total sales of 87,684 units split between 77,704 two-door hardtops (no pillared coupes were offered in 1968, which could have competed with competitors like Plymouth's Road Runner) and 9,980 convertibles, the 1968 GTO remained at the top of the muscle car sales chart for 1968. By the way, the rarest 1968 Pontiac GTO model was the 366-horsepower convertible teamed up with a 3-speed automatic transmission: just 22 units were produced versus 92 with the 4-speed manual transmission.
The years have treated the GTO well. Since the very first 1964 model, immortalised on the cover of Car and Driver magazine with its namesake Ferrari 250 GTO, the mid-size Poncho always delivered a fine blend of styling and performance which seemed to epitomize the '60s muscle car scene. As mentioned in that seminal Car and Driver feature, the Pontiac division was led at the time by its maverick 42-year-old General Manager John DeLorean, the "father" of the GTO. Also part of the Pontiac leadership team was its chief stylist 40-year-old Jack Humbert and plastics expert Josh Madden (responsible for the Endura bumper). Pontiac was GM's excitement division, a far cry from where it is today, having followed Oldsmobile into extinction as GM re-shuffles its deck.
Performance was where the GTO had made its mark and equipped with the top-dog 366-horse Ram Air II V8, the white-jacketed Car and Driver testers coaxed one from 0-60 in 6.5 seconds with the four-speed transmission (7.3 seconds for the automatic) and covered 1,320 feet in 14.45 seconds (4-speed) and 15.93 seconds (automatic). To put things in perspective, a stock '68 Road Runner would cover the standing quarter-mile in 15 seconds dead (although buyers who ticked the immortal Hemi option could expect passes in the low 13-second region!). Make no mistake; the GTOs could punch their weight.
So, how about the stunning example featured here? For starters, it's the proud possession of Dave Leonard, who just happens to be the CEO of the Original Parts Group based in Huntington Beach, California, the premiere supplier of classic GM A-body restoration parts from the sixties and seventies. It shouldn't surprise you that in picking the 1968 GTO to showcase his company's products, that there was an A-body Pontiac lurking in Dave's past. "My first car was a 1971 Pontiac LeMans 350," says Dave. "That car generated a lot of enthusiasm for me to get into restoration, especially for the GM A-bodies. I own over 30 GM muscle cars as well as some old Cadillacs. My current resto project is a1966 Buick GS 400."
When we prompted Dave for details on this particular GTO the story is somewhat typical. "It was bought online from a seller in upstate New York," remembers Dave. "The car was complete and we verified that the drivetrain was numbers-matching and that it did not run. To say that the car needed a complete restoration would be an understatement. It was original but in very bad shape; every part needed replacing or rebuilding, including the motor."
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SIDE VIEW
Note the sleek, flowing lines of the all-new '68 body. It would take GM's competition at Ford
and Chrysler years to shed their boxy styling in an effort to catch up with GM. As one GTO ad put it,
"Others have caught on. But they haven't caught up."
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ENGINE
The 400-cube Pontiac V-8 debuted in 1967 GTOs and was available in Ram Air trim. For '68,
Pontiac upped the ante with the Ram Air II engine, which featured round-port heads, a stronger block
and other mods. Power inched up from the Ram Air's 360hp to 366hp for the Ram Air II.
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INTERIOR
The Ivy Gold interior of this '68 perfectly complements the Verdoro Green exterior. Note the optional console, wood-rimmed steering wheel and other headrest-less bucket seats.
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SHIFTER
The Hurst Dual-Gate shifter was
years (decades?) ahead of its competition.
Today, automatics often have a second shift gate
for performance driving, but it was
revolutionary back in the day.
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"The frame-off restoration was performed by JH Restoration in Riverside, California. All parts were supplied by OPGI," smiles Dave. "The complete restoration took about 12 months and we have before and after photos." When it came to the drivetrain, no expense was spared by Leonard, as he turned to the Pontiac specialists at Butler Performance in Tennessee. "The car was restored back to original specifications," says Dave. "We were helped by the fact that we had a copy of the build sheet that we were able to get from [PHS] to make sure we had all the correct parts and options. The engine is mated to a 200-4R overdrive transmission built by California Performance Transmission in Huntington Beach, California."
The color combination of the green exterior matched to the contrasting Ivy Gold interior makes an outstanding combination; it's almost as if you can imagine it hanging a U-turn on Detroit's Woodward Avenue, as pictured in that iconic ad from the sixties and duplicated countess times over the years by GTO enthusiasts. Dave was very proud that the car won Best Restored GM vehicle at the 2008 SEMA show, an award sponsored by GM. When queried about the car's best attribute, Dave was quick to comment that in an era of retro-mods with crate motors, riding on oversize rolling stock, this GTO is the real deal.
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Note the stylish rear sidemarker lense in the shame of the Pontiac emblem. In 1969, this would change to the GTO crest. Also note the taillamps that were deeply inset into the massive chrome bumper. There was no arguing that Pontiacs had style.
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COURTESY OF PONTIAC ENTHUSIAST
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Story and Photography
by Richard Truesdell
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Product: 1964-65 Chevelle, GTO, Cutlass, Skylark- Convertible Well Moldings
Product Code: 2011820 / 2011821 (Full Discounted Set)
$169.95 complete w/mounting kit, On SALE $151.95 through 4/30/10
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End of Year Sale!